Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion’s Airport, meet and assist.
Day 2
North up the Via Maris through the Jezreel Valley and Mount Carmel. Megiddo, Tiberias
Via Maris
Is one modern name for an ancient trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia — along the Mediterranean coast of modern-day Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Syria. In Latin, Via Maris means "way of the sea". It is a historic road that runs in part along the Palestinian Mediterranean coast.
Jezreel Valley
Is another name for Marj ibn Amir (Arabic: مرج ابن عامر), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District of Israel. the valley was the scene of several battles with the Israelites. Here Jezreel's rulers killed Ahab's 70 sons, put their heads in baskets, and brought them to Jehu. Queen Jezebel murdered Naboth in his own vineyard in Jezreel and later died after being thrown from a palace and devoured by dogs.
Mount Carmel:
known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias (Arabic: جبل مار إلياس, is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. A number of towns are situated there, most notably the city of Haifa, Israel's third largest city, located on the northern and western slopes.
Megiddo:
Is the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, the remains of which form a tell, situated in northern Israel, about 30 kilometers south-east of Haifa. Megiddo is known for its historical, geographical, and theological importance, especially under its Greek name Armageddon. For Christians the word Megiddo is synonymous with the end of the world as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Megiddo, or Armageddon, will be the site of the Final Battle. This will be the final battle of many fought here. For Christians the word Megiddo is synonymous with the end of the world as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Megiddo, or Armageddon, will be the site of the Final Battle. In the interest of homeland security Solomon proceeded to strengthen Jerusalem's defenses and to build three major fortified bases from which his chariot forces could operate: Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.
These three were strategically located. Hazor guarded the northern approaches to the country. Megiddo guarded the mountain pass that opened into the Jezreel Valley. Gezer guarded the coastal plain and especially the approaches to the mountains of Judah and the capital city.
Tiberias:
Is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish centre during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed.Tiberias was founded c. 20 CE by Herod Antipas and was named after Roman emperor Tiberius. It became a major political and religious hub of the Jews in the Land of Israel after the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of Judea during the Jewish–Roman wars The problem with Tiberias is that it was considered polluted. Not air pollution, or water pollution. But "corpse" pollution. Tiberias had been built on the shores of the Sea of Galilee over an older town called Hamat. In fact, right over Hamat's cemetery. Because Tiberias had no arable land, Jews from other cities continued to bring their dead to be buried there. So then, Tiberias was a cemetery, even before it was a city!
Day 3
Nazareth, Church of the Annunciation, Jordan River Park
Nazareth: Arabic: النَّاصِرَة, is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel". Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and commercial center for the Arab citizens of Israel. The city also commands immense religious significance, deriving from its status as the hometown of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity
Church/Basilica of the Annunciation:
The church was built at the site where the Virgin Mary accepted the angel Gabriel’s announcement of her pregnancy with the Son of God.
River Jordan Baptismal site :
Both areas in Jordan and the West Bank take their names from the river. The river has a major significance in Judaism and Christianity, the Jews believe that the Israelites crossed it into the Promised Land. Christians believe that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in it.
PM
Mount of Beatitude, Boat ride Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Bethsaida:
Church of the Mount of Beatitude where Jesus famous (Sermon on the mount) took Place. The sermon comprised the heart of his teachings
Tabgha
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, is best known for Christ’s miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish to feed a multitude, 5000 men, plus women and children sitting on the grass. Then he took five loaves and two fish, “looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves . . . and the disciples distributed to the crowds”. After all the people ate, the leftovers filled 12 baskets, the miraculous feeding came after Jesus learnt that Herod Antipas had beheaded his cousin, John the Baptist.
Sunset Boat Ride at the Sea of Galilee:
بحيرة طبريا in Arabic. Also called Lake Tiberias or Kinneret, is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea, a Salt Lake, its maximum depth is approximately 43 meters] The lake is fed partly by underground springs, but its main source is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south and exits the lake at the Degania Dam.
Capernaum:
Is the small town where the Ruins of St. Peter’s House and the ancient synagogue where Jesus did most of His teaching and one of the three town Jesus cursed for not listening to his teachings and refusal to repent.
Bethsaida:
Is the third ancient village located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus cursed. The village of Jesus disciples Philip, Peter and Andrew. It is identified as the location where Jesus performed some of his most indelible miracles, it is here he led a blind man away from the village, restored his sight, and instructed the man not to re-enter the town nor to tell anyone of the miracle he had performed.
Day 4
North to Caesarea Philippi, Dan and Nature Park. South to Beth Shean and border crossing into Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Amman biblical capitol of Ammonites.
Caesarea Philippi:
Stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, was a city dominated by immoral activities and pagan worship. Caesarea Philippi stood only twenty-five miles from the religious communities of Galilee. It is the site of an ancient spring in northern Israel where Jesus took his disciples to reveal his identity as the Messiah, the Son of God. Today, the location is known as Banyas or Banias which is an evolution of the ancient name, Paneas Nowadays it is an archaeological site with ruins of an ancient Roman city, including a palace, bath house & synagogue.
Dan Nature Park:
This site is also famous for its incredible archaeological excavations, offering a unique exploration of both an ancient Canaanite civilization (about 4,000 years ago) and the Israelite tribe of Dan. These ancient ruins are truly amazing and will give you a new perspective on the historic events that took place in the Northern Kingdom. Make sure you don’t miss out on an ancient water-powered flour mill (located in the center of the nature reserve) that dates back approx. 150 years ago, as well as an ancient arch that is at least 3800 years old and is probably one of the earliest man-made arches found in the world.
Bet Shean:
Beit She'an was inhabited by the Canaanites, and was an administrative center of the, was a major biblical and secular city for thousands of years. Inhabited since Neolithic times inhabited by the Canaanites, and was an administrative centre of the Egyptian Pharaohs. The bible alludes to Beit She'an been controlled by the Philistines, and that on the walls of Beit She'an where they hanged the bodies of Saul and his sons, after the Battle of Gilboa.
Amman-Jordan:
Is the capital of the Ammonites, a Semitic people frequently mentioned in the Bible; the biblical and modern names both trace back to “Ammon.” The “royal city” taken by King David’s general Joab was probably the acropolis atop the plateau.
Day 5
Traditional baptismal site of Jesus, then to Mount Nebo, Madaba and its 6th century Byzantine map of Palestine. Kerak , Herod’s palace Machaerus
Traditional baptismal site of Jesus:
Al-Maghtas (Arabic: المغطس, meaning "baptism" or "immersion"), officially known as Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", is an archaeological World Heritage Site in Jordan, on the east bank of the Jordan River, considered to be the original location of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and venerated as such ... The site contains two distinct archaeological areas, tell el-Kharrar, also known as Jabal Mar Elias, and the area of the Churches of St. John the Baptist.
Mount Nebo:
Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge located in Jordan, approximately 700 meters above sea level. Part of the Abarim mountain range, Mount Nebo is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his death.
Madaba:
Is an ancient town in Jordan, southwest of the capital Amman. It’s known for its 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. The Madaba Archaeological Park preserves the mosaic-rich Church of the Virgin Mary and artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras. Northwest, the biblical hill of Mount Nebo overlooks the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea.
Madaba and its 6th century Byzantine map of Palestine:
The Madaba Map, also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan. The Madaba Map depicts part of the Middle East and contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the sixth century AD.
Al-Karak :
Is a city in Jordan known for its medieval castle, the Kerak Castle. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria. Al-Karak is the capital city of the Karak Governorate. Al-Karak lies 140 kilometres to the south of Amman on the ancient King's Highway.
Crusader fortress of Kerak:
Kerak Castle is an ancient fortress located in the city of Kerak, Jordan. It is one of the most important castles in the region and has been a major stronghold for centuries. Built by the Crusaders in 1142, it was a key strategic point for them in their fight against Saladin's forces.Kerak Castle is something of a dark maze dominated by stone-vaulted halls and seemingly endless passageways. The best-preserved passageways of the castle are underground.
Herod’s palace Machaerus:
Machaerus Arabic: قلعة مكاور, ’Mukawir Castle ‘was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, now in ruins, located in the village of Mukawir in modern-day Jordan, 25 km southeast of the mouth of the Jordan river on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. According to the Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus, it was the location of the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. The execution took place in about 32 CE shortly before the Passover, following an imprisonment of two years. The site also provides the setting for four additional New Testament figures: Herod the Great; his son, Tetrarch Herod Antipas; his second wife, Princess Herodias; and her daughter, Princess Salome.
Day 6
Petra, red-rock city of the ancient Nabateans.
Petra Arabic: ٱلْبَتْراء, is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system, Petra is also called the "Rose City" because of the colour of the stone from which it is carved; it was famously called "a rose-red city half as old as time. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Access to the city is through a famously picturesque 1.2-kilometre-long (3⁄4 mi) gorge called the Siq, literally means 'the Shaft') is the main entrance to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra in... which leads directly to the Khazneh. The Khazneh or "Treasury “is the huge façade, the inner chamber and the other structures next to it or in the wider area.
The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC and the Nabataeans might have settled in what would become the capital city of their kingdom as early as the 4th century BC. Archaeological work has only discovered evidence of Nabataean presence dating back to the second century BC, by which time Petra had become their capital. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra's proximity to the incense trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Day 7
Depart Petra -Jericho
Jericho:
means “City of palms” It is known to be the oldest town on earth, where the Israelites supposedly brought down its walls with a great shout and trumpet blasts when they entered the Promised Land. Also, here Jesus healed Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, and dined with Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector. And both Cleopatra and Herod the Great coveted this lush oasis. Water from Jericho’s powerful perennial spring provides irrigation for abundant fruit, flowers and spices.
Day 8
Jerusalem, Israeli Museum, Yad Va Shem Museum Chagall Windows
Jerusalem:
Is a city in Western Asia, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Israeli Museum:
Arabic: متحف إسرائيل) is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world's leading encyclopaedic museums. It is adjacent to the Bible Lands Museum Its holdings include the world's most comprehensive collections of the archaeology of the Holy Land, and Jewish art and life, as well as significant and extensive holdings in the fine arts, the latter encompassing eleven separate departments: Israeli Art, European Art, Modern Art, Contemporary Art, Prints and Drawings, Photography, Design and Architecture, Asian Art, African Art, Oceanic Art, and Arts of the Americas Among the unique objects on display a nail attesting to the practice of crucifixion in Jesus' time. the Shrine of the Book, houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and artifacts discovered at Masada. It is one of the largest museums in the region.
Yad Va Shem Museum :
The word is literally "a memorial and a name" it is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the survivors; honouring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future.
Chagall Windows:
The twelve stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall for the new Hadassah-Hebrew University/Medical Centre in Jerusalem. Each of the 11x8 foot stained-glass windows symbolizes one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Executed in brilliant reds, blues, yellows and greens, the iconography, based on the 49th chapter of Genesis and the 33rd chapter of Deuteronomy, is confined to animals, fish, flowers and trees.History of Hadassah and Marc Chagall's dreamy 12 stained-glass windows, representing Jacob's sons, at the Hadassah Hospital synagogue in Ein Kerem.
Day 9
Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity, Beit Sahour, Shepherd’s Field.
Church of the Nativity:
Is one of the major Christians sites is the cave of Jesus birth. In 326 Constantine and his mother Helena built the church over the grotto, which we know now as the church of nativity.
Beit Sahour, Shepherds Field:
Is 2 Km East of Bethlehem. It Is the place where the Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds and informed them about the birth of Jesus in a cave in Bethlehem & shopping.
PM
Mount Zion, Church of St. Peter of Gallicatu, Upper Room (Cenacle), Kidron Valley, Mount of Olives, Gethsemane Garden, Dung Gate, Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock
Mount Zion:
Is a hill just outside the walls on the southern end of the Old City. The hill has been called Mount Zion since sometime in the Middle Ages, even though Jewish scripture refers to it as the Temple Mount.
Church of St. Peter of Gallicatu:
The church of the Cockcrow/Caiaphas house where St. Peters denied Jesus three times on the eve of His arrest. Below the church is the dungeon where Jesus was detained the night of his arrest.
Upper Room (Cenacle):
The room is located on top of Mount Zion, where Jesus had shared the Last Supper with his disciples the night before He was arrested. During this meal he instituted the Eucharist which are the most momentous events of the Christian faith. Also, the descending of the Holy Spirit on His disciples at Pentecost, which is recognized as marking the birth of the Christian Church
Kidron Valley:
Is the valley originating slightly northeast of the Old City of Jerusalem, which then separates the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives, and ending at the Dead Sea.
Mount of Olives:
It is named so for the olive groves that once covered its slopes. It stands 300ft above the city of Jerusalem. Several key events in the life of Jesus, took place on the Mount of Olives it is where Jesus often went there to pray and went down the mountain on his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday also it is the place from which Jesus ascended to heaven.
Gethsemane Garden:
Is the garden of Olives which hosts the oldest Olive trees in the world at the foot of Mount of Olives where Jesus underwent the agony and was arrested there before his crucifixion. Walking distance from the Church of all the Nations.
Dung Gate:
Also known in as the Silwan Gate, and Mughrabi Gate (Arabic: باب المغاربة Bab al-Maghariba),is one of the Gates of the Old City, it was built as a small postern gate in the 16th century by the Ottomans, first widened for vehicular traffic in 1952 by the Jordanians, and again in 1985 by the Israeli authorities. The Dung Gate is a main passage for vehicles coming out of the Old City and for buses headed to the Western Wall.
Wailing Wall:
The Western Wall, known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall, is a portion of ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem that forms part the larger retaining wall of the hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount.
Dome of the Rock:
The Dome of the Rock, Arabic: قبة الصخرة, is an Islamic shrine at the centre of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture, the earliest archaeologically attested religious structure to be built by a Muslim ruler and its inscriptions contain the earliest epigraphic proclamations of Islam and of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Its initial construction was undertaken by the Umayyad Caliphate on the orders of Abd al-Malik during the Second Fitna in 691–692 CE, and it has since been situated on top of the site of the Second Jewish Temple (built in c. 516 BCE to replace the destroyed Solomon's Temple and rebuilt by Herod the Great), which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The original dome collapsed in 1015 and was rebuilt in 1022–23.
Day 10
St. Stephen's Gate, Church of St. Anne, Pool of Bethesda; Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
St. Stephen's Gate:
Also known as Lions' Gate, St. Stephen's Gate is one of the seven open gates of Old City Jerusalem. Enter the old city through St. Stephen’s gate to the Ecce Homo Convent
Church of St. Anne:
the origin of the church’s name is identified by being the home of Anne (Hannah) and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.
Pools of Bethesda:
Behind the church of St. Anne are the remains of ancient pools, a Roman temple and churches. The pools have been identified as the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a crippled man. During the Roman Period this site was the location of a temple to Asclepius, the Roman god of healing. A church was built over the ruins of the temple and the pool in the 5th century, and today we can see the great arches that supported the floors.
Church of the Condemnation and Flagellation:
Where Jesus was condemned to death by crucifixion and was flogged then carrying His cross through the Via Dolorosa.
Via Dolorosa:
The Via Dolorosa Latin for "Way of Grief, “or "Way of Sorrow," or “Way of Suffering" is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem, it is the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The winding route from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—a distance of about 600 metres (2,000 feet). It is marked by nine Stations of the Cross; the remaining five stations being inside the Church of the Holy the Sepulchre.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
On the top of the hill in Jerusalem known as Golgotha stands the holiest Christian shrine in the Old City, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
PM
Free Afternoon
Day 11
Dead Sea, Qumran, Masada:
Dead Sea:
Also called the Sea of Lut, Sea of Salt: The Dead Sea, itself, is an inland body of water appropriately named due to the fact that it’s extremely high salt and mineral-rich waters are not conducive to sustaining life. In fact, the Dead Sea is nearly ten times saltier than any of the world’s oceans. It is the lowest point on Earth
Qumran:
Are the Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered not so long ago. Located on the north-western shore of the Dead Sea, Qumran is located between Jerusalem and the major Dead Sea beaches and attractions such as Ein Gedi and Masada.
Masada:
Is the ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea. A cable car and a winding path climb up to the fortifications. Among the ruins is King Herod’s palace and a Roman style bathhouse with mosaic floors. It is famous for the last stand of the Zealots where the 960 living at the top of the plateau chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Masada is a UNESCO world heritage.
PM
Shopping
Day 12
Departure Home
Enquiry-Book
